Artificial honeycomb for collecting and recovering honey

ABSTRACT

Improved means for and method of collecting and recovering honey using conventional beehive supers equipped with spacer strips to support molded plastic honeycombs. These reusable honeycombs have preformed honey cells of three quarters of their full depth in readiness for filling by bees. The upper corners of these combs include tool manipulating and handling recesses including portions cooperating with the spacer strips to space the combs properly. The spacer strips are self-gripping for installation without tools. The honey can be recovered centrifugally from a plurality of the supers. The combs may be serviced by a conventional hive tool or the invention hive tool having tong jaws for gripping the ends of the combs and breaking the combs loose and having sharp-edged tang means for scraping encrusted surfaces.

United States Patent [1 1 Croan ARTIFICIAL HONEYCOMB FOR COLLECTING ANDRECOVERING HONEY [76] Inventor: Kenneth F. Croan, 2165 N. Grand Oaks,Altadena, Calif.

[22] Filed: Jan. 20, 1971 [21] Appl. N0.: 107,950

[52] US. Cl. 6/10, 6/2 [51] Int. Cl A01k 47/04 [58] Field of Search 6/2,10, ll

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,474,382 6/l949 Smith et al6/l0 3,579,676 5/1971 Pierce 6/2 Primary Examiner-Lucie H. LaudenslagerAtt0meySellers and Brace [451 Sept. 18, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT Improvedmeans for and method of collecting and recovering honey usingconventional beehive supers equipped with spacer strips to supportmolded plastic honeycombs. These reusable honeycombs have preformedhoney cells of three quarters of their full depth in readiness forfilling by bees. The upper corners of these combs include toolmanipulating and handling recesses including portions cooperating withthe spacer strips to space the combs properly. The spacer strips areself-gripping for installation without tools The honey can be recoveredcentrifugally from a plurality of the supers. The combs may be servicedby a conventional hive tool or the invention hive tool having tong jawsfor gripping the ends of the combs and breaking the combs loose andhaving sharp-edged tang means for scraping encrusted surfaces.

13 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures ARTIFICIAL HONEYCOMB FOR COLLECTING ANDRECOVERING HONEY This invention relates to honey collection and recoveryand more particularly to an improved highefficiency low-cost artificialhoneycomb and to means for manipulating and supporting the same in aconventional beehive super and to a method of collecting and recoveringhoney using such an artificial comb.

It has long been conventional practice to collect honey in beehivescomprising one or more supers having provision therein for supporting aconventional rectangular wooden frame capable of holding abut 6 poundsof honey. In the above described wood frame, it is necessary to handmount a wire reinforced foundation wax sheet, a costly and timeconsuming operation. After the prepared frames have been installed inthe beehive, the bees must expend considerable time and energy inbuilding the wax cell walls before honey can be deposited. Variousproposals have been made heretofore to overcome these and othershortcomings of prior practices but these attempts have been far fromsatisfactory and are subject to numerous shortcomings avoided by thepresent invention.

To this end this invention provides a greatly improved reusablehoneycomb having preformed cells and numerous other unique features andadvantages not heretofore available. The new comb can be manufacturedfrom strong, rigid, durable, lightweight, plastic material readilycleaned and sterilized for repeated reuse. The frame and combcombination extends from end to end of the super compartment and itsopposite faces are substantially fully covered with a multiplicity ofwells having the same approximate configuration as natural honeycombcells. The depth of the individual wells may vary but in a preferredembodiment are equal to three quarters of the depth of natural honeycells with the result that the bees may expend a maximum of their timecollecting and depositing honey, the only wax making operation beingthat required to complete the cell and cap the individual wells asfilled. It is important that the well axes be acutely inclined upwardlyfrom the horizontal similarly to the inclination of natural honey cells.

Owing to the characterisitcs and strength of the constituent material,substantially the full face area of each comb may be perforated andutilized to store honey. The conventional wood frame and wax foundationrequires much of its surface area for structural strength. Because ofthe inherent strength of the plastic material of the invention comb, thewell area has been extended to a percent greater area than is possiblewith the wooden frame. Each comb is molded with lugs projecting from itsupper corners each notched and recessed to permit use of a standard hiveservicing tool of either conventional but preferably the novel formprovided by this invention. This hive tool includes tong legs at one endfor gripping and seating in recesses opening through the lugs of thecomb. The opposite end of the tool includes a sharp-edged scrapersection usable in scraping wax and the like encrusted matter from thehive surfaces.

The combs are held spaced from one another on the rabbeted ends of thesupers using a readily inserted self-clamping spacer strip andcooperating with tongue means on the combs to hold the combs properlyspaced apart and vertical. Spring tangs at the opposite ends of thisstrip press against the super sidewalls previously constructed. for usewith the now out-moded wooden frames. Owing to the thinness of thespacer strips, the supers are convertible to use with either type ofhoney frame.

The flat faces of the invention comb make it a simple matter to usethese surfaces to guide a cutting blade to uncap the cells if thismethod is preferred over the high speed centrifugal method.Alternatively, and according to another mode of use made possible bythis invention, the cells need not be uncapped. Thus either thehoneycombs themselves, or supers along with all the honey charged combsstill in place therein may be placed directly in centrifuge equipment.The charged combs are preheated, either before or after being placed inthe centrifuge, to a temperature softening the wax and enabling thecentrifuge action to extract all honey from the cells. This technique isnot possible when using wood frames with wax cells since the wax cellwalls will soften and collapse.

It will therefore be recognized that the invention greatly simplifiesand minimizes the cost of processing beehives to collect honey. Allphases of the complete operation are characterized by improvements indesign, lower cost, greater efficiency, less labor, and increases thehive capacity substantially. Additionally the extraction of the honey isgreatly simplified, costly repair work is avoided and far less storagearea is required for the individual frames or combs.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provideimproved unique accessories and a novel method for collecting andrecovering honey.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an artificialhoneycomb reusable repeatedly and requiring no preparation other thancleaning and sterlizing after use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a molded artificialhoneycomb greatly reducing or substantially eliminating the need forforming the individ ual honey cells other than capping the cells whenfilled with honey.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a one-piecehoneycomb readily installed in lieu of conventional wooden honeycombframes in existing beehive supers, together with unique means forholding the invention frames properly positioned in any predeterminedspacing.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an artificialhoneycomb designed to fit a self-gripping spacer support installablewithout tools crosswise of super endwalls.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a one-piece,self-gripping honeycomb spacer strip readily installed in and removedfrom a hive super.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved methodfor collecting honey in individual hive supers and in extracting thehoney without need for removing the combs from the supers.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple, one-piece,hand-held hive tool with portions designed to cooperate with theinvention honeycomb and usable in different ways to perform differentoperations with an artificial comb.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a hive tool forhandling the comb and formed with prying and scraping means at itsopposite ends.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading thefollowing specification and claims and upon considering in connectiontherewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofa typical beehive super showing severalcomponents of the invention in their installed operating relationshipsto one another;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the upper left hand corner ofFIG. 1 but with the tong end of the hive tool gripping a comb inreadiness to lift the comb from the super;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken in part along line 3-3 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale taken along line 44 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view taken along line 5-5 on FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 onFIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 onFIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a generally diagramatic view showing a plurality ofhoney-filled supers in a hot room; and

FIG. 9 is a generally schematic cross-sectional view taken transverselythrough a centrifugal extractor having a plurality of honey chargedsupers in readiness for a honey recovery operation.

Referring initially more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown atypical and preferred embodiment of the invention artificial honeycomb,designated generally 10, assembled lengthwise of a standard beehivesuper 11. The latter includes endwalls 12,12 rigidly connected tosidewalls l3 and fully open on its upper and lower sides. Such supersare stacked one on top of another in known manner along with other hivecomponents to form a complete beehive. The upper inner edge of eachendwall 12 is rabbeted at 15 to provide a supporting ledge for lugsprojecting from the upper corners of conventional wooden honeycombframes. When supers 11 are converted to use with the present invention,rabbets 15 support a one-piece sheet metal spacer strip 16 having meansnow to be described holding combs 10,10 uniformly spaced from oneanother.

Spacer strips 16, as here shown, are formed from a single strip ofresilient sheet metal shaped to nest against rabbeting 15 along theinner rim edge of endwall 12. Each spacer includes an upright firstflange l9 and a downwardly projecting channel-shaped second flangeinterconnected by a horizontal web portion 21. The opposite ends offlange 19 are formed with tangs 23 having their lower edges sheared fromthe remainder of the strip and connected to the main body of the striponly along the hinge area 24. It will be understood that the outer endedges of tangs 23 project sufficiently to have a forced interference fitbetween the interior surfaces of the super sidewalls 13,13. This facttogether with the resiliency of the tangs renders the tangsself-gripping and highly effective to lock the strips firmly assembledwith flanges 19 and web 20 resting flush against the walls of rabbet 15.The strip is then moved toward its installed position as tangs 23 flextoward one another as necessary. As the strip reaches its installedposition edges 25 bite into the sidewall 13 and firmly grip and retainthe strip in place.

If it is desired to keep the strips permanently installed, some usersmay prefer to add tacks as indicated at 27 in FIG. 5. These tacks passthrough openings in the dished or dimpled portions 28 of flange 20.These dimples are proportioned to seat against the super endwall whenproperly seated on rabbet 15 with the result that the dimples preventoverdriving the tacks 27 and deformation of flange 20. The overhang ofthe tack head facilitates withdrawal of the tack. An important featureof spacer strips 15 is the provision of any desired number and spacingof channels or grooves 30 having a loose sliding fit with thecomplementally shaped portion 31 protruding horizontally from either endof comb 10, this feature being best shown in FIG. 6.

Combs 10 forming an important feature of the present invention arepreferably molded from high strength, plastic composition. The materialis selected from various commercially available materials which will notwarp or deform, particularly when heated to a sterilizing temperature.

The comb includes a continuous perimeter frame 33 (FIGS. 6, 7), having awidth corresponding to the thickness of the comb as a whole as, forexample, one half to nearly 2 inches. Each face comprises a multiplicityof small diameter wells 34 separated from one another at their innerends by a common bottom wall 35. Desirably, but not necessarily, thewells 34 have a depth corresponding to the depth of natural honey cellsalthough they may be substantially shallower if desired. Preferably thewells on the opposite sides of the comb converge upwardly towards theupper horizontal edge of the frame by a slight angle corresponding tothe angle of inclination of natural comb cells. This prevents thedeposited honey from escaping; otherwise and except for this feature, ithas been found that the bees will not use the artificial comb or will doso only by extending the outer end of the well by adding wax inclinedupwardly sufficiently to retain the honey. If the wells are of theproper depth and properly inclined upwardly it has been found that thebees will not extend the cell walls but will fill them with honey andthan cap the outer ends as is indicated at 37.

An important feature of combs 10 is the provision at its upper cornersof outwardly projecting lugs 40. These are proportioned to overlie andrest upon the web portion 21 of spacer strips 16. The top surfaces oflugs 40 lie substantially flush with the upper edges of the super andare positioned to be engaged by the jaws 54 of a centrifugeconventionally used to extract the honey. It is also pointed out andemphasized that the entire perimeter of the comb except for lugs 40 andtongues 31 is spaced from the juxtaposed surfaces of the super walls orof a super cover or another super as to provide bee passages of optimumsize. This is important in permitting proper circulation of the bees toall areas of the hive and discourages burr combs. Opening outwardlythrough the vertical ends of each lug 40 is a V-shaped notch 41 (FIG. 3)for seating a suitable prying tool useful in loosening and elevating thecombs from their installed position. Lugs 40 also preferably include arecess or a passage 42 by which the combs can be hung in sterilizing anddrying equipment etc. This recess is also useful in seating the jaws oftongs or other handling tool as will be described presently.

Hive tool 45 forming an important accessory of the invention is bestshown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 as comprising a one-piece, U-shaped main bodyhaving tong legs 46,46 interconnected by the bight portion 47. When usedas a prying tool, the tong legs 46 serve as a handle while the tool isrocked counterclockwise as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3 against the upperedge of the flange 16 with tabs 26 providing a broad area fulcrum. Thebight portion has a sharp-edged extension 48 which may be used as ascraper and cleaning device. Not infrequently the combs become stuck tothe spacer strip or to other parts of the super by wax. in this event,tool 45 is highly effective in freeing the comb following which the userdepresses lugs 50 projecting inwardly from the inner surfaces of legs 46into the opposite ends of openings 42 thereby firmly and positivelygripping the comb without risk of contaminating either the comb or thehoney if present.

Some beekeepers prefer to use a conventional hive tool well known tothose skilled in this art and designated .45. The tool is shown in FIG.1 in use to pry a comb free if it is stuck to the spacer strip 16 byburr comb.

As will be readily recognized, lugs or tongues 31 projecting from theendwalls of the combs (FIG. 6) are sized to seat in the channels orgrooves 30 of spacer strip 16. Although only one hive tool 45 is shown,it will be understood that the operator may carry a tool in each handeach usable as shown in FIG. 1 to manipulate an end of the comb.

After the combs are filled with honey, the supers are removed bodily toa processing plant. There the individual combs 10 may be removed fromthe supers but preferably the honeycharged supers are placed in hotrooms 53 (FIG. ,8) where they are preheated until the wax caps 37 havesoftened. Alternatively, the charged supers may be slid sidewise intothe gripping jaws 54 at the outer ends of the centrifuge arms 55. Thisoperation may be performed with the lug end 41 of the combs facingoutwardly away from the axis of the centrifuge thereby avoiding the needfor clamping the combs in the supers since the jaws 54 overlie lugs 40and retain .combs l0 firmly in place. The centrifuge is then rotated atan appropriate speed by driving motor 57 to expel the honey from thecomb wells. If desired, the interior of the centrifuge and the chargedsupers are first preheated to soften the wax caps. Since this mode ofsoftening the wax slows the extraction cycle, it is preferable topreheat the supers before loading the extractor.

The extraction having been completed, the supers are lifted from thecentrifuge and processed in cleaning and sterilizing equipment before,being returned to the hive.

While the particular artificial honeycomb and method of collecting andrecovering honey herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capableof attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbeforestated, it is to be understood that it is merely illus- .trative of thepresently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitationsare intended to the detail of construction or design herein shown otherthan as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A reusable plastic honecomb comprising a generally rectangular planarmain body having closely spaced rows of cellsopening through .theopposite faces thereof substantially from edge to edge thereof andsizedand spaced substantially like natural honeycomb .cells, saidplastic honeycomb being characterized .in

being molded from plastic material stable at a sterilizing temperature,the rims of said cells lie generally in the plane of the adjacent faceof said honeycomb, said honeycomb having integral suspension lug meansprojecting in opposite directions from one longer edge thereof for usein suspending said honeycomb in a vertical plane in a beehive super,outwardly opening means on said lug means to seat one end ofa tool asthe latter is fulcrumed generally in the plane of the honeycomb againstthe adjacent upper rim edge ofa standard super to elevate said honeycombupwardly out of assembled position in a super while being inspected orremoved to collect honey deposited thereon.

2. A plastic honeycomb as defined in claim 1 characterized in that saidsuspension lug means includes a portion merging with the lower facethereof and adapted to internest with complementally shaped positioningmeans in the opposite ends of a beehive super for holding said honeycombagainst sidewise displacement when properly seated in the super.

3. A plastic honeycomb as defined in claim 2 characterized in that saidportion of said suspension lug means for preventing sidewisedisplacement of said honeycomb in a super comprises tongue meansprojecting outwardly from the opposite shorter edges of said main bodybelow said lug means and adapted to internest with complementally shapednotch means opening upwardly along the interior end wall of a beehivesuper as said honeycomb is lowered into a super and approaches a fullyassembled position therein.

4. A plastic honeycomb as defined in claim 2 characterized in that saidtongue means extends along the shorter edges of said main body for asubstantial distance and is adapted to cooperate with the juxtaposedsurfaces of said complementally shaped positioning means to hold saidhoneycomb against sidewise pivotal movement while suspended by said lugmeans in a beehive super.

5. A plastic honeycomb as defined in claim 1 characterized in that thesaid tool seating means is shaped to receive one end of a conventionalhive tool as the latter is fulcrumed against the adjacent upper rim edgeof a super to elevate said honeycomb upwardly out of assembled positionin a super while being inspected or removed to collect honey depositedthereon.

6. A plastic honeycomb as defined in claim 1 characterized in that saidtool seating means in said suspension lug means is a generally V-shapednotch opening outwardly through the remotely spaced outer ends thereofand adapted toreceive an elongated rigid tool at each end of saidhoneycomb and fulcrumed .against the adjacent rim edge of a standardsuper to elevate the honeycomb free of its assembly position in a super.

7. A plastic honeycomb as defined in claim 1 characterized in that saidtool seating means comprises recess means opening through at least oneface thereof and adapted to seat the lug of a handling tool for saidhoneycomb.

8. A plastic honeycomb as defined in claim 1 characterized in that atleast one face of said honeycomb includes recess means opening throughthe surface thereof for seating the lug of a handling tool.

9. A plastic honeycomb as defined in claim 1 characterized in theprovision adjacent said lug suspension means of an associated openingextending through each face of said honeycomb.

10. A molded plastic honeycomb as defined in claim 1 characterized inthat the axes of said cells on the opposite faces ofsaid honeycombconverge upwardly tocells provide a guide surface for blade means passedthereacross to cut away the cell caps to release the honey.

13. A plastic honeycomb as defined in claim 10 characterized in that themain body thereof includes means on the opposite transverse endsadjacent one longer edge thereof shaped to cooperate with means injuxtaposition thereto when said honeycomb is assembled within a beehivesuper to hold said honeycomb against sidewise displacement from itsassembled position.

1. A reusable plastic honecomb comprising a generally rectangular planarmain body having closely spaced rows of cells opening through theopposite faces thereof substantially from edge to edge thereof and sizedand spaced substantially like natural honeycomb cells, said plastichoneycomb being characterized in being molded from plastic materialstable at a sterilizing temperature, the rims of said cells liegenerally in the plane of the adjacent face of said honeycomb, saidhoneycomb having integral suspension lug means projecting in oppositedirections from one longer edge thereof for use in suspending saidhoneycomb in a vertical plane in a beehive super, outwardly openingmeans on said lug means to seat one end of a tool as the latter isfulcrumed generally in the plane of the honeycomb against the adjacentupper rim edge of a standard super to elevate said honeycomb upwardlyout of assembled position in a super while being inspected or removed tocollect honey deposited thereon.
 2. A plastic honeycomb as defined inclaim 1 characterized in that said suspension lug means includes aportion merging with the lower face thereof and adapted to internestwith complementally shaped positioning means in the opposite ends of abeehive super for holding said honeycomb against sidewise displacementwhen properly seated in the super.
 3. A plastic honeycomb as defined inclaim 2 characterized in that said portion of said suspension lug meansfor preventing sidewise displacement of said honeycomb in a supercomprises tongue means projecting outwardly from the opposite shorteredges of said main body below said lug means and adapted to internestwith complementally shaped notch means opening upwardly along theinterior end wall of a beehive super as said honeycomb is lowered into asuper and approaches a fully assembled position therein.
 4. A plastichoneycomb as defined in claim 2 characterized in that said tongue meansextends along the shorter edges of said main body for a substantialdistance and is adapted to cooperate with the juxtaposed surfaces ofsaid complementally shaped positioning means to hold said honeycombagainSt sidewise pivotal movement while suspended by said lug means in abeehive super.
 5. A plastic honeycomb as defined in claim 1characterized in that the said tool seating means is shaped to receiveone end of a conventional hive tool as the latter is fulcrumed againstthe adjacent upper rim edge of a super to elevate said honeycombupwardly out of assembled position in a super while being inspected orremoved to collect honey deposited thereon.
 6. A plastic honeycomb asdefined in claim 1 characterized in that said tool seating means in saidsuspension lug means is a generally V-shaped notch opening outwardlythrough the remotely spaced outer ends thereof and adapted to receive anelongated rigid tool at each end of said honeycomb and fulcrumed againstthe adjacent rim edge of a standard super to elevate the honeycomb freeof its assembly position in a super.
 7. A plastic honeycomb as definedin claim 1 characterized in that said tool seating means comprisesrecess means opening through at least one face thereof and adapted toseat the lug of a handling tool for said honeycomb.
 8. A plastichoneycomb as defined in claim 1 characterized in that at least one faceof said honeycomb includes recess means opening through the surfacethereof for seating the lug of a handling tool.
 9. A plastic honeycombas defined in claim 1 characterized in the provision adjacent said lugsuspension means of an associated opening extending through each face ofsaid honeycomb.
 10. A molded plastic honeycomb as defined in claim 1characterized in that the axes of said cells on the opposite faces ofsaid honeycomb converge upwardly toward one longer edge of saidhoneycomb and acutely relative to a plane normal to the face of saidhoneycomb.
 11. A plastic honeycomb as defined in claim 10 characterizedin that said cells have a depth corresponding generally to the depth ofa honeycomb cell conventionally made by bees whereby bees need notexpend time and energy building cell walls and whereby the bees, uponfilling the plastic cells with honey merely cap the filled cells.
 12. Aplastic honeycomb as defined in claim 11 characterized in that the outerends of the filled capped cells provide a guide surface for blade meanspassed thereacross to cut away the cell caps to release the honey.
 13. Aplastic honeycomb as defined in claim 10 characterized in that the mainbody thereof includes means on the opposite transverse ends adjacent onelonger edge thereof shaped to cooperate with means in juxtapositionthereto when said honeycomb is assembled within a beehive super to holdsaid honeycomb against sidewise displacement from its assembledposition.